


Single Combat

by Micorku



Series: War Stories [1]
Category: Magic: The Gathering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2020-04-11 14:20:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19111429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Micorku/pseuds/Micorku
Summary: Sorin and Nahiri meet again on Ravnica. It doesn't go well.





	Single Combat

Sorin watched, in agony, for months.

He watched as Emrakul vanished into the moon, scarring its surface.

He watched the angels chasing unnamed horrors from Thraben.

He watched the sun rise.

He watched the sun fall.

He watched a cathar enter Markov Manor, his home.

He watched the cathar run, terrified, from the tortured screams.

He watched as five suns appeared in front of him.

He felt his focus returning, consumed by the colors danced in front of him.

He felt the blind eternities open before him.

He felt his flesh tear open, ripped free from the stone prison.

He felt peace, for a moment, as he crashed onto cobble stones.

He felt his fangs pierce the vedalken that had tried to help him, and the cool rush of blood soothing his wounds.

He felt rage at the one who had imprisoned him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nahiri scanned the crowd expectantly. Her prison had been designed for Sorin, but she knew from personal experience that no prison was unbreakable. Offhandedly she had introduced herself to some large human male, Gregory or something like that. He wasn’t important. None of them were.

“Let’s bring this to order, please. We need a plan.” That kid from Innistrad, the one who had stuck his nose into her business, was addressing the crowd. Smart kid, but meaningless. She had no time for his petty disputes.

She looked at the crowd a final time, then walked through a wall and out onto the streets. The ground was littered with corpses, both native and invader. She felt the leylines, looking for the taint of Innistrad that she knew so well. The destruction of the Chamber of the Guildpact had made a chaotic mess of the mana flow, but Nahiri only needed the smallest glimpse, and she could find him.

And there he was.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He watched her walk into the square. His sword, freshly won from a man in white and gold armor, was a pale replacement for his Markov blade, but it would be sufficient. She looked directly at him and smiled.

“I see you’re out of the wall” she called up to him. “Shame your freedom won’t last long.”

“Thousands dead.” He stood, looking down at her. “Thousands more twisted. My home destroyed beyond any hope of repair.”

“Not half what you deserve, parasite.” She reached out, calling her molten blades from the ground around her. “I said you would weep. Now you can just die.”

They leapt across the square, and their clash shook the plane.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Desolation surrounded them. Buildings had fallen, unheeded in their murderous struggle. None of the Dreadhorde had reached this area of the city, but it was still a warzone. Nahiri dove off a roof, surrounded by her stone blades, lunging at Sorin. He braced himself and stopped her assault, full of contempt.

_ FOOLS! _

They paused for a moment, then moved to continue their fight.

_ CHILDREN! STOP THIS AT ONCE! _

Ancient when Sorin was born, the voice reverberated in both their minds as they stepped back.

_ YOU WOULD BICKER AS THE MULTIVERSE TREMBLES. _ Their eyes locked, they answered wordlessly.  _ YOUR PETTY ARGUMENT DOES NOT MATTER. THE ELDRAZI WERE DEAD OR LOCKED AWAY WHILE YOU FOUGHT EACH OTHER, AND NOW YOU WOULD IGNORE THE GREATEST EVIL THE MULTIVERSE HAS EVER KNOWN. _

They looked away.

_ My friends. Ages have past since we swore a vow to stop the Eldrazi. My brother is a greater threat than the titans ever were, and he is on the cusp of his ultimate victory. I need your help. Please. _

The sworn enemies looked at each other again. They once loved each other. A grudge could be set aside briefly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They fell into old rhythms as the fought the horde. She would clear space, cleaving limbs with her blades, while he darted in and out, cutting down those on the edges. He cut down one, inches from her neck. She waved a hand, and a shield separated him from the horde for a moment, just long enough to catch his breath.

And then the dragon fell, bellowing his defiance into the minds of all present. The battle was over, and the two found themselves standing silently, looking at each other. Their hands tightened on their blades. For a moment, the rage built again.

The moment passed, and they looked away. There had been enough bloodshed for one day, and they had houses to put in order. Nahiri sank into the ground as Sorin dispersed into a crimson mist.

Tomorrow there may be war, but today they had earned their rest.


End file.
